


The danger of pissing off dragons

by ToTheStarsWriting



Series: dragon!Alec [12]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: BAMF Alec Lightwood, BAMF Magnus Bane, Fire, Hurt Magnus, M/M, Magic, Possessive Alec, Protective Alec, So don't worry, and have no shame over it, but they're bad guys, dragon!Alec, only a little, pissed off Magnus, some people die, these boys kick ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:21:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25340815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/pseuds/ToTheStarsWriting
Summary: One thing you should never, ever do if you value your life is take something that belongs to a dragon. Especially not when that something is the single most important thing they have.Valentine is about to learn that the hard way.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: dragon!Alec [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1369069
Comments: 60
Kudos: 694





	The danger of pissing off dragons

It’d been a long time since Alec had been able to properly patrol with his siblings. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it until they were running their way through the streets of New York, racing from place to place as they answered the alerts that kept coming in on their phones.

There’d been a lot of demon activity the past couple nights. Luckily, it so far seemed to just be a bunch of minor demons. Nothing too hard for their patrols to take out. It’d also provided a perfect excuse for Alec to leave Lydia in charge for a little while and take up his bow so he could hunt with his siblings.

Well, his siblings and Clary.

Not that that bothered Alec as much as it might have a month ago. Putting Maryse in charge of Clary’s physical training had been one of the smartest decisions Alec had ever made. Maryse worked the girl hard and took none of her nonsense. And, as Alec had predicted, Clary seemed to make it her personal mission to prove Maryse wrong almost constantly, which only pushed her to try harder to become the best shadowhunter she could.

However, Alec had a feeling it was her second teacher that was really making all the difference.

It hadn’t been easy to get that teacher. Alec had needed someone who could teach Clary about the Shadow World in its entirety. Not just shadowhunter culture, or downworlder, but all of them. There was only one person that came to mind.

Ragnor hadn’t been all that pleased when Alec asked him.

“I am trying to _hide_ ,” Ragnor had said, full of that uptight, snooty air that he liked to take when Alec was annoying him. “What part of that do you not understand?”

They’d been in Magnus’ loft, the only place Ragnor apparently felt safe to portal to, with Magnus watching on as Ragnor and Alec fought it out.

Instead of being bothered by Ragnor’s tone, or giving up, Alec had grinned at him, not the least bit disturbed, and countered: “Where better to hide than the Institute?” Then, because he knew his teacher well, and he wasn’t above using whatever tricks were at hand, Alec had slyly added on, “Unless you’re saying you don’t trust Magnus’ wards, that is.”

Oh, the look Ragnor had given him! Alec knew he was going to pay for this, somehow, in some way. But he was more than willing to deal with that when it meant that not only did Ragnor come to the Institute to teach Clary, he’d actually set himself up in the south tower, which Alec was hoping to convert to rooms for any of their allies on an as-needed basis. The Clave wasn’t thrilled at the idea of having a spot in their Institute for _downworlders_ , but even Lydia had agreed that it was a smart idea to have a whole guest tower. She’d also been the one to suggest that they list it as that – a tower for allies, not for downworlders specifically. She was surprisingly good at working within the confines of the law while bending them just enough to suit their needs.

In one evening, Alec had managed to secure the best teacher possible for Clary. Someone who could teach her about all parts of the Shadow World, was more than capable of putting up with Clary’s stubbornness, and had the tenacity to get through to her. At the same time, Alec had also brought one of his missing Clan members into a safe space where he could keep an eye on him and make sure no one hurt him as Ragnor so clearly feared.

He wasn’t sure if Ragnor knew that was a motivating factor. Though Alec knew Magnus was well aware of it.

With all of that going on, Alec had discovered that patrolling with Clary wasn’t quite as frustrating as it had been. She was a lot better than she used to be.

Alec made a point to compliment her on it when she took out the last Ravener demon without even breaking a sweat. He grinned, shouldering his bow. “Good job, Fray.”

Clary’s eyebrows shot up in clear surprise at hearing Alec say something nice to her. “Uh – thanks?”

As he walked past her, he heard the girl turn towards Isabelle and whisper, “Is something wrong with Alec? He just said something _nice_ to me.”

Isabelle let out a loud snort. Most likely she was looking after Alec with amusement; he didn’t have to turn around to see it. It was easy to hear in her voice when she answered Clary. “Contrary to popular belief, my brother does know how to be nice. You just have to earn it. And, you know, not piss him off.”

Rolling his eyes, Alec bent down to gather up the last of his arrows, slipping them into the ‘used’ section of his quiver. They’d need to be cleaned of ichor later, and he didn’t want them to contaminate the others still in there. As he put them away, he felt a buzz against his hip. One look told him all he needed to know. Quickly gathering the last two arrows, he shot a look back at his siblings who were taking a moment to joke with Clary and wipe off their blades. “Got another one!”

“Where at?” Isabelle asked, straightening up. Her blade went back into its holster, and the snake around her wrist slithered a few times in anticipation.

Alec was already reaching for the nearby fire escape to drag himself up – they’d get there faster via rooftop. He called back a quick “Brooklyn,” as he went.

The thought that any demons were anywhere within Brooklyn was enough to have his dragon perking up and growling. It wasn’t like Alec didn’t think that demons went anywhere near there. It was just far too close to his home – to Magnus. Having demons in any part of his territory was enough to irritate Alec. Having them so close to home was even worse.

For the most part, Magnus’ magic seemed to act like a deterrent for some of them. Magnus had explained it as a sort of power thing. “My blood comes from a higher rank than theirs,” he’d said to Alec in one of their many nighttime talks on the balcony, back in the early days of their relationship. “They recognize that I’m stronger than them, and they stay away.”

But every once in a while, some demons got through. Usually, Magnus handled it himself if possible, or he called it in to Alec and the rest of them so they could take care of it. He liked to tease Alec, “This is your job, shadowhunter. Go shadow hunt.”

Alec heard the others fall in behind him and knew that they’d all taken to the rooftops with him. They didn’t try and catch up or even try and keep up. Jace and Isabelle understood in ways no one else did just how eager Alec was to get there. Clary would probably make the assumption that it was about Magnus being in Brooklyn; she wouldn’t be wrong, either. But Jace and Isabelle would understand that it was _more_. That Alec was protective of the places he called _home_. The loft? The loft had become more home than anywhere else ever had been.

Even if Alec hadn’t recognized the area they were going into, he would’ve known when they got close. Just as he knew in an instant that something was wrong. Very, very _wrong_.

Magnus’ magic was something that Alec could sense a whole lot easier than anyone else’s. He could feel it when he was near the loft like it was reaching out for him to greet him before he ever got anywhere near the front door. Only this time, it wasn’t the wards of the loft that reached out for Alec. It was a straight shot of Magnus’ magic on its own – bright, broken, and furious.

Every sense Alec had went on high alert. That feeling of wrongness grew, and Alec's inner dragon began to growl.

Alec forgot all about everyone else with him. He didn’t give a damn about them. Pausing on the edge of a roof, he opened his senses and let the smells of the city drift toward him. He sorted through them with a grimace and a brief tightening of his hand. As soon as he filtered out the more common scents – the sharp, disgusting ones that were always here in this city – he caught the one he was looking for, only… more.

A growl rumbled up Alec's chest and had him curling his lip. He smelled blood!

Gripping tight to the wall with one hand, Alec swung his body over the ledge, not even hearing Clary’s surprised cry. He didn’t bother pretending to activate any runes. There was no room for anything else in Alec except finding the source of that scent. When he found Magnus, and he found whoever had hurt him, he was going to enjoy ripping them to shreds.

It took him no time at all to follow that scent trial. He found it halfway down an alleyway near some dumpsters. There was no body to go with it, something Alec felt both grateful for and worried about. At least if Magnus had been there, Alec could’ve had him safe, and he could’ve helped him. But if he’d been lying there, there would’ve been a chance that Alec might not have been there in time to save him.

Instead of coming from a body, the smell was coming from the wall right beside the dumpster. Alec found it easily enough, not bothered by the lack of light. He reached a hand up and pressed his fingers against it, not listening to the others that came up behind him.

“What is that?” Clary asked.

“Blood,” Isabelle answered, at the same time that Jace said, “Magnus’ blood.”

Someone gasped; Alec wasn’t sure who. He was too busy staring down at the red on his fingers. He rubbed his thumb against it, and it was still just wet enough to smear, though it was already starting to go a bit tacky. The dragon inside was roaring, demanding to be set free. To use blood and magic to track his lover wherever the hell he was and _bring him home._ The only thing holding him back was – _Magnus_.

 _“I know I can’t make you promise not to come after me if something ever goes wrong, but I want you to promise me you won’t reveal yourself unless you absolutely have to. Please.”_ Magnus had said those words to him when they’d curled up together on that beautiful island. Wrapped up in sun and skin, they’d fallen into discussing the future, and it hadn’t seemed all that bleak there.

Alec had promised. He’d promised to do his best to not reveal himself. But they both knew that if it came down to it, there was nothing Alec wouldn’t do to bring his mate home.

Someone had come after his mate. Someone had hurt him, had _taken_ him. There was the faint scent of demons in the area, which had triggered the alert through the Institute, but it wasn’t strong. A trap, maybe, to lure Magnus out? Human hands had done the rest. Alec sniffed again and tried to push back the scent of Magnus’ blood, telling himself that this was going to help him. Even if part of him insisted he knew exactly how to _help_.

Another smell finally made its way past the others. As soon as Alec caught it, he went still, his whole body tensing. There, a little further down the wall was more blood.

 _Angel blood_.

Shadowhunters had done this. _Shadowhunters_! No, not just Shadowhunters – Alec's people wouldn’t do this. And he would recognize the scent of their blood. This wasn’t just Shadowhunters. This was _Circle members_. They’d come out here, likely used demons as a way to lure Magnus out, and they’d attacked him, hurt him, and captured him.

The line between man and dragon grew thinner. Alec pressed his hand into the brick building in front of him and didn’t even notice as he curled it in and claws dug into the bricks. Rage boiled up in his veins. Someone had _taken Magnus._ Every inch of Alec was demanding that he take to the skies and _hunt them down._

“Call Catarina,” someone said behind him.

Another voice, much closer than the last one, called out, “Alec?”

Alec spun, his growl tumbling out of him, and found someone right there in front of him. Too close. _Too close_. He let his growl grow in warning and was satisfied when the female reached out to this tiny one trying to come toward him and tugged her backward.

“Stay back,” the female warned. Alec looked at her and sniffed, drawing in her scent, and gave a pleased rumble as she registered in his mind as _safe, family, Clan, sister_. Isabelle. That was Isabelle. She was pulling back the other girl until they all stood at a safe distance away from Alec. As they should.

The tiny girl made a protesting sound. “What the hell is going on? Was there some sort of spell – is that why you told Jace to call Cat?”

Magic tingled at the edges of Alec's senses. He snapped his head to the side and braced his whole body in preparation, only to relax as he recognized the feel of that magic. It wasn’t Magnus’, but it was close. Magnus’ friend – his family. Another member of their slowly growing Clan.

Two of them, actually. The portal formed, and Catarina stepped out, with Raphael on her heels. The two of them took one look at Alec and went still.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding, were you?” Raphael said with a low whistle.

Catarina smacked him, though her eyes never left Alec. She closed the portal while still keeping her focus on Alec. She took one step forward, then another, and then another still. It wasn’t until she tried one more that Alec began to growl again. The instant he growled, she stopped, and her body stayed relaxed in what was clearly an attempt at appearing as nonthreatening as possible. Alec was tempted to tell her it didn’t matter what she did; he wasn’t threatened by her. Why should he be? She couldn’t hurt him.

“Alec,” she called out gently, holding her hands out to the sides as she did. “Can you hear me?”

A snort from Raphael had her shooting him a warning look. One that the vampire ignored. “What? He’s not deaf. He can hear you.”

Oh, Alec knew there was a reason he liked this guy even after the way Raphael had mouthed off when he’d met the other side of Alec.

Though he wanted to agree with him, to tell them all that he _wasn’t_ stupid and he knew exactly what was going on here, Alec kept himself still as stone all except for a fine tremor that was running through him. He knew he was likely leaking magic at that moment, yet it was taking everything in his power to keep himself contained. To keep from lashing out and hunting down the bastards who had been dumb enough to _take his mate._

“Alec,” Catarina tried again.

There wasn’t a chance for Alec to do more than turn to snarl at her. To the surprise of everyone watching, Raphael spoke up again, sharply cutting across her with a “Catarina, don’t.”

“This is what Magnus wanted us to prevent!” Catarina hissed at him.

Raphael ignored her. He pushed past her hand and walked closer – far closer than Catarina had been allowed. She was a friend, yes, and Clan, but Raphael was more. This was the one Magnus had claimed as his _son_. Right now, he was probably the only one who could’ve risked getting this close to Alec aside from Alec's parabatai.

He stopped just a couple in front of him and lifted his eyes to meet Alec’s head-on. When he spoke, his question was simple. “Can you track him?”

A little quiver of magic ran down Alec’s body. “They can’t hide him from me.”

“Then what are you still doing here?”

A dart of his eyes towards his siblings was all it took for Raphael to understand. “You leave them to me,” Raphael said firmly. “I’ll handle them, and I’ll handle whatever pissed off business Magnus wants to give for the promise I bet you’re about to break. You just go _bring him home_.”

Though the human part of Alec knew that he should still try and do this the normal way, the _human_ way, the rest of him was done listening. He _wasn’t_ human, and he wasn’t going to let Magnus be at risk just so Alec could keep his secrets and pretend for a little while longer that he was something he wasn’t. Human though he may sometimes appear, he was a dragon, dammit!

It was time to track Magnus down and bring him home.

Alec drew in a breath and then let it out, letting go of his hold on his magic as he did. The dragon inside came tearing forth, pushing the man down farther than he’d ever pushed him before, burying him under a wave of _need_ and _rage_ that would tear the world apart if it meant bringing Magnus home.

* * *

A loud cry of “Get back!” almost wasn’t fast enough to get everyone out of the way in time. Between a quick shield on Catarina’s part, and Raphael speeding back to grab the others, they cleared out of the alleyway in just enough time to watch as a streak of black shot up over the top of the buildings, growing larger as it rose.

The sound of a dragon’s roar echoed through the streets of New York. People all over heard it even if they didn’t know what it meant. To those that carried magic in their veins, power, they shivered at the sheer rage emanating off this being. It blanketed the city as it flowed over them, seeking out the one it was missing. The only one that would be able to break through the anger to bring it a sense of calm.

“Oh my God,” Clary breathed out, staring up in awe as they all watched Alec let out another roar and take off. “Was that… was that _Alec_?”

Jace and Isabelle were looking at Raphael now that their brother was gone. One of Jace’s hands was on his side, curled over his parabatai rune. There was only a thin barrier of magic keeping him from feeling the full force of Alec's rage. He knew it was there, could sense it, but he could also sense the magic Alec was using to keep it from flooding him.

“What did you do?” Isabelle asked into the suddenly quiet night. Her eyes were locked right on Raphael. “We called you guys for help, and you…”

“We helped,” Raphael interjected calmly. He saw her start to form another protest and quickly cut in. “He knew what needed to be done. The only things holding him back were the ideals that _you_ people taught him – the need to constantly be human – and a promise to Magnus to try all other avenues first. Because they both know what your kind are going to think of someone like him. Luckily for all of you, Magnus has a plan.”

A look passed between him and Catarina. They had been planning for this, and it was something they needed to get going on before things went much further. Tonight was going to be a long night for all of them. They needed to do their part so that when Alec came back with Magnus, everything was ready for them.

If they didn’t come back, well… none of it would matter anyway, because Alec would burn them all to the ground.

“We’ve been spreading rumors lately about Magnus hunting down some big magic to take on Valentine,” Catarina explained. “With his reputation, it’s not outside the realm of belief that he would come up with something. Everyone in our community knows he’s powerful. Warlocks in other countries know that he’s powerful. If anyone were to find some kind of magic to summon a dragon, it’d be him.”

“What we need you guys to do is to come up with some sort of plausible place for Alec to be tonight. No one can know he was gone. The rest, just leave up to us,” Raphael said. He nodded at Catarina and vanished, leaving her to deal with the Shadowhunters while he went to get things rolling.

Catarina faced the trio and gestured for them to follow her toward the loft. It would be the best place to plan and wait. So long as the wards let them through, they could hide out there until they knew what was going to happen. “Come on, shadowhunters. We’ve got a lot to talk about and a lot to do.”

They got lucky in that the wards weren’t up strong enough to block everyone out. Just the basic wards were up, the kind that Magnus put up when he left. Without him or Alec in the loft, they weren’t up so high that Catarina couldn’t get in. She had permission to get through this level just in case of an emergency. Holding on to the others allowed them to walk in with her like a long chain, each one holding the hand of the next.

Once they were inside, with the safety of the wards wrapped around them and no one around to hear or see, Catarina took a moment to send off a few quick texts and then place a call to Ragnor.

While she did that, it left Jace and Isabelle to deal with Clary, who still looked stunned.

Jace was at her side, one hand on her shoulder and a concerned look on his face. “Clary?”

She blinked her eyes a few times like she was trying to bring the world into focus. Then she looked up at Jace’s face. The shock was still easy to read there, but it was matched by something else this time. Something that looked a little like awe. “Your brother is a _dragon_.”

“Uh, yeah, about that.” Jace gave her a kind of sheepish look. He let go of her arm to rub at the back of his neck, and he tried to smile charmingly at her. “Surprise?”

A loud snort came from Catarina, and Isabelle let out a low “ _By the angel_ ” before reaching out and smacking Jace’s arm. Then she shoved him out of the way. “You’re an idiot, and we don’t have time for this. You go call Mom, tell her what’s going on but let her know we’ve got it under control.”

“Tell her Ragnor’s on his way here and will portal her over if she wishes,” Catarina called out. “We’re gonna need him if we want this to work.”

Together, friends and family gathered in Magnus’ loft, and plans that they’d been preparing for were finally being put into play. They just hoped it would be enough to keep everyone safe while Alec fought to bring their missing member home.

* * *

Far away from where they were, Magnus sat curled up in a small cell deep in the base of one of Valentine’s ships. His wrists were shackled together with magic-blocking cuffs, and though he hadn’t been given any injections yet he knew it was only a matter of time. Why else would they take him?

They’d done a damn good job of luring him out of there. Setting the trap with demons, luring him outside his home, and then attacking. He’d almost gotten away – almost. But he hadn’t counted on the warlock they had on their side, ready and waiting to knock him out and portal them all back here.

Magnus cursed lowly to himself as he curled his body in a little tighter to try and stay warm. Apparently, they didn’t believe in keeping warm on this ridiculous ship. He had no bed in here, no blanket, nothing at all to keep him warm. He was cold, tired, furious with himself for getting caught, and just the slightest bit terrified. Not just for himself, though there was a fear he couldn’t shake at what Valentine might do to him, and what was taking him so long to do it.

No, Magnus’ biggest fear was for someone far more important than himself.

The instant Alec found out that Magnus had been taken, he wasn’t going to react well. Even when he was more human than dragon, Alec was both protective and possessive of those he considered his. He protected his family and his people like they were precious treasures he hoarded away inside the Institute.

But, egotistical though it may sound, the way he was with Magnus was so much more. If Alec's family and people were his treasure, than Magnus was his crown jewel. And someone had been stupid enough to take him.

Alec would come for him. Of that, Magnus had no doubt. Just as he doubted that anything Valentine had here on this ship would be capable of hurting his love. What Magnus worried about was what it would mean. Because Alec wouldn’t come as a man. Even if by some insane luck, the others managed to convince Alec to stay in his human shape to come and get him, once they found their way here…there was no way Alec would _stay_ human.

A tiny part of Magnus relished that idea. Maybe it wasn’t good of him, and Ragnor would probably be a bit disappointed in him, but Magnus entertained himself for a little while with picturing just what his lover would do to the people here. In very graphic detail.

It put a smile on his lips when the door to his cell opened. Magnus looked up and didn’t bother hiding that smile. It only grew when he saw how uncomfortable and nervous it made the guards – all _six of them_.

Even with Magnus cuffed, Valentine was still playing it cautious by sending six guards after him.

“Get up,” one of the guards said, hand on the hilt of his blade.

Fighting against them wasn’t really an option. Magnus would lose, and he knew it. But that didn’t mean he was just going to make it easy for them. He deliberately took his time, pushing himself up off the ground with a little less grace than he normally would’ve. The cold had left him stiff and sore. But he didn’t let them see him stumble.

Magnus straightened himself up and grinned at them. “It certainly took you all long enough.”

“Shut up,” another of the guards snapped.

The biggest of them all, the one with his blade already out, glared at Magnus and gestured him forward. “Come on – the boss wants to see you.”

“Really, he could’ve just scheduled an appointment.” Magnus strolled forward as casually as if he were walking through his club. He didn’t let himself twitch at the angel blades that were being held so close to him. One thing Magnus had perfected over the years was the ability to present a calm façade no matter how terrified he was. There was no way in hell he was going to let these bastards see him scared.

The trick was to pick something and hold on to that. For Magnus, that was anger. He let it burn through him as the guards surrounded him and walked him out of the cell and through the ship. He allowed that anger to straighten his spine and lift his chin. Let it blaze in his eyes in a defiant threat that he didn’t bother to hide.

When they reached the deck of the ship, Valentine stood there with a group of guards at his back. But what drew Magnus’ attention was Dot standing off to the side. It was a sight meant to throw Magnus off balance, to scare him. Valentine wanted to show Magnus what was in his future.

The sight of her almost made Magnus stumble. Centuries of practice were the only thing that allowed him to keep walking. To let nothing show on his face. He wrapped himself in the persona of _High Warlock_ and let it carry him across the deck.

His guards stopped them while he was still a good ten feet away from Valentine. Smart. If they let him get too close, well, Magnus didn’t need magic to kill this man.

Looking at him up close, it was hard to see what it was about Valentine that had so many people willing to follow him. Once, maybe, he’d been a greater man. Someone that could inspire people to follow him by the passion in his words and the sheer _belief_ he carried. That was something that could draw a lot of people in. Mundane serial killers were proof of that.

But… maybe it was time, or maybe it was the experiments that he’d done. Something about Valentine seemed different. Weaker. This wasn’t the same man that had once been able to command a room with just a few words. There were lines on his face that hadn’t been there before – the hard years he’d lived stamped all across him. And there was a light to his eyes that had Magnus wanting to take a step back.

He’d known before that Valentine had to be crazy to do what he did. But this was the first time that Magnus really realized that the man was genuinely _insane_. Maybe once he’d been sane. But if he had been, it was long gone now. The fanatical light in his eyes and the twisted grin on his face made that clear.

There would be no reasoning with him. No talking to him. No threats Magnus made, no promises, would have any effect. Valentine truly believed that he was right and was willing to sacrifice anyone and anything for the cause.

Still, that didn’t mean that Magnus was going to just stand here and play this man’s game. He might be insane, and maybe antagonizing him was probably the stupidest thing he could do, but like hell if Magnus was going to stand here and give him the opportunity to deliver a standard evil-guy-monologue.

“You know,” Magnus called out, startling more than a few people as he did. “Like I told your boys downstairs, if you wanted to speak with me, you could’ve requested an appointment. I’m sure you’re familiar with how to send a fire message.”

To his credit, Valentine faltered only for a moment. Then he tilted his head and studied Magnus like he was some fascinating creature. One that wasn’t behaving in quite the way he’d anticipated. “Is that so?”

Magnus adjusted himself so that his hands rested casually in front of him even with the shackles. “Mm, yes. I’m usually very selective about which clients I take on, though I’m almost always willing to at least set up an initial meeting. Away from my home, of course. I have a rather territorial shadowhunter who is often there, and I find it makes life simpler if I refrain from bringing my more _unsavory_ clients home.” Leaning back a bit, Magnus rolled his eyes. “That’s not to say he doesn’t follow me anyway, but that’s an entirely different story.”

None of what he said was a lie. He’d started to take a few more of his worst clients _away_ from his home. An act which Catarina insisted he should’ve been doing long, long ago. She’d always advised him to keep clients out of his home. It tended to lead to situations like he’d had early on with Alexander’s family – people knocking at all hours of the day and night, thinking they could get his help anytime they wanted it.

A slight tightening around Valentine’s eyes was the only outward sign of discomfort he showed at Magnus’ speech. It left Magnus wondering – was it the speech itself, or the whole _territorial shadowhunter_ bit he’d mentioned? _Only one way to find out._

He took a second to look Valentine over and made damn sure there was a visible sneer on his lips when he did. “Then again, I highly doubt you’d be able to afford me.”

“Isn’t that just like a warlock, always ready to do anything – for the right price.” Valentine looked disgusted as he said it. He shook his head, a sort of pitying gesture. “You’re all alike. Each and every one of you…”

Magnus let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes. “Oh, please, save me the speech. Unfortunately, as we both know, this isn’t my first time in your company. I’ve heard enough of your speeches. Let’s just skip ahead to the part where you explain why you brought me here and what you want.”

It was a little bit satisfying to watch Valentine actually flounder a little at Magnus’ dismissive words. A few of the guards around them shifted like they wanted to say or do something. But no one interfered. They stayed back and watched the two men facing off against one another.

A dark look settled on Valentine’s features. That mask he wore over his madness slipped, just the slightest bit. “I’m going to enjoy teaching you your place, _warlock_.” He said the word with a sneer, the same way Magnus might mention _Edom_. “When your precious Downworld sees you on my leash, your power under my control as you tear down the wards of the Institute, the battle will be as good as won.”

Just the thought of that had Magnus’ stomach clenching tight. To be taken that way, used against his people, against his _lover_ …

Alec could fight. He _would_ fight to protect his home. But would he be able to bring himself to fight against Magnus? Would he stop him? _Could_ he?

Their conversation was interrupted by a faint rumble of thunder that came from somewhere behind Magnus. A few of the guards around Magnus tensed a little at it. He would’ve teased them for it if the sound hadn’t come again, louder this time, and so much clearer than before. Realization struck like a bolt of lightning. _That wasn’t thunder_.

That fear Valentine had been trying to instill in him never got the chance to grow. Even as it started to take root, something happened that took those roots and ripped them out. Something that Magnus should’ve known he could count on. No matter what.

Magnus felt a slow smirk start to curve his lips. He lifted his head and felt his heart begin to beat faster. The fear he’d felt earlier was still there, yet at the same time, there was relief. A sharp wave of it that loosened his muscles and eased the hard lump that’d been building inside of him. He knew that sound, and he knew what it meant. While the others looked scared – Magnus felt peace.

His smirk drew Valentine’s attention. The man took one step back, glaring. “What are you doing, warlock?”

When another boom sounded, louder than before, a seraph blade was suddenly pressed against Magnus’ neck. He didn’t flinch. Instead, he held there and continued to grin, even knowing that it wasn’t a good idea to piss them off too much. Alexander would be furious if he got there and found that Magnus had antagonized them into hurting him right at the end.

“What kind of demons did you summon here?” snarled the guard holding him.

A deep, furious roar came, closer than ever. Magnus’ grin turned a bit smug as he carefully tilted his head back. “Not a demon,” he said, eyes going down to stare right at Valentine. “But by the time he’s done with you, you’ll wish that was all he was. You really should be careful when you take something. You never know who it might belong to. Or what they’ll do to get their property back.”

Then Magnus looked to the sky and watched as the gorgeous form of his lover broke through the clouds.

* * *

Finding Magnus took no time at all once Alec let his instincts take over. Nothing and no one was going to get between him and his mate. Magnus was _his,_ and Alec was going to make sure the ones who took him paid for it – for every single drop of blood that he’d shed. These idiots had made the mistake of taking the most important thing in Alec's life. They’d _hurt_ him. For that, he was going to enjoy making them suffer.

The bond that connected Alec to Magnus, that bit of magic that made sure no one would ever be able to keep them apart, it led Alec across the city and over the water.

The wards Alec saw waiting for him meant nothing. If they thought their ridiculous little wards would keep him out, they had another thing coming. Alec could’ve put up stronger wards in his _sleep_.

With another roar, Alec let out a stream of fire imbued with magic to flow over the wards. He felt the warlock’s magic that had been used to make these give a little under the pressure of his own. Felt as it gave way to the clearly stronger magic and just _shattered_. Either the warlock who’d made them truly was weak, or they’d made them unwillingly, doing the barest of wards without any real effort behind them.

Whatever it was, Alec's magic shattered them like too-thin glass, and the two massive freighter ships hiding out there became clear.

Alec couldn’t have cared less about all the people that came swarming out onto the ships. His focus was on just one.

There, on the first ship, Alec could see his mate. Magnus stood in the middle of a crowd of tiny humans who had their weapons drawn and _pointed right at Magnus_. The sight of it had Alec letting out a furious growl. How dare they draw weapons on Magnus? _How dare they_? Didn’t they know who they had?

With a curl of magic to shrink himself _just enough_ so that he could be small enough to fit, Alec let out one final roar as he came in for a landing. He aimed his roar at the fools surrounding his mate and watched them scatter like idiots with _glee_. Carefully, gently, Alec dropped down onto the ship with Magnus just inches from his chest.

The instant he had Magnus close again, some of the raging fire inside finally started to settle. Alec had been panicked from the first instant he’d smelled Magnus’ blood. Now, having him here, having him alive and well in front of him, some of that rage subsided, leaving room for a clearer head. One clear enough to realize just who it was standing there in front of him.

_Valentine._

Alec stared down at the tiny little man in front of him that had been the cause of so much trouble lately. All the pain, all the suffering, all that fear – and it was because of this man right here? Alec huffed out a stream of smoke from his nostrils.

Soft footsteps warned Alec that Magnus was moving. He didn’t bother looking down or taking his eyes away from any of the threats around them. For some reason, everyone seemed frozen at the moment. They weren’t doing anything. Weren’t even moving. Everyone just held still and watched as Magnus backed himself up enough to be more in line with Alec's chest than in front of him. Firmly within Alec's protection – where he should be.

“You have a dragon under your control,” Valentine said slowly, eyes watching Alec carefully.

Snorting out a small flame, Alec lowered his head a little and glared. The way the little man jumped at the brief flare of fire was pleasing.

Magnus let out a laugh that soothed some of the furious, aching places inside Alec. “Do you really think anyone _controls_ a dragon?”

There was no way for Alec to bend down and reach Magnus the way he wanted. So much of him was demanding that he take his mate and curl protectively around him where no one would have a chance at hurting him again. But the other part of Alec that was getting louder by the minute was reminding him that there were enemies here that needed to be handled first.

Alec extended a little tendril of magic down toward his mate. He found the cuffs that were holding Magnus’ magic back. Disgusting things that they were. It didn’t take much to snap the metal away from Magnus – while protecting his skin, of course.

As soon as Alec did, he could feel the way that Magnus’ magic came surging back in.

Knowing that Magnus had his magic once more to help protect himself made it easier for Alec to focus on the enemies in front of him. His body tensed, and his wings shifted at his sides, as a low growl started deep down in his chest.

The light touch of a hand against his chest held him in place. “There are other warlocks on the ship, darling,” Magnus warned him. “Other downworlders. My people.”

Which meant Alec couldn’t just kill everyone right here and now. He was going to have to stall for time and give Magnus a chance to get them out.

The warlock that was over by Valentine had been still this entire time. She hadn’t tried to attack or defend or anything. She just stood there, staring up at them with eyes that held too much pain to them. When Alec looked closer, he saw that she had that same sort of sickness to her that Alec had felt in the chains on Magnus’ wrists. That sense of wrongness that wasn’t supposed to be there. Leaning in, he looked her over, and then blew a stream of magic right at her.

He saw as the others moved toward her like they were going to reach out for this woman, and Alec snarled at them, just a brief curl of fire.

It was enough to give Magnus the time to reach for the woman and for her to reach back; to run toward him and get tugged over to safety on their side of the ship. Whatever words the two said to one another was lost on Alec. He stood guard over them while Magnus checked her out.

The others were getting restless. Alec could feel it, and he knew their time was up. He needed to get his mate out of here. Using his magic, he reached out to Magnus and sent a small thought his way. **_It’s time to go, Magnus._**

He felt Magnus startle, felt that little twitch at having Alec's thoughts, and then Magnus sent his own thought back. **_I won’t leave my people._**

Alec growled, and a few of the Circle members stepped back while others still drew their weapons. It was going to be a matter of seconds before they tried to attack. Snarling, Alec stretched out his wings. **_You’ve got five minutes, maybe eight. That’s the best I can give you._** Without waiting for Magnus to react, Alec tilted his head down and blew a stream of magic at his mate, a little boost to help him, and then Alec was throwing his head up toward the sky and giving a roar that shook the ships.

He felt Magnus and the woman run away underneath Alec and back toward the entrance of the ship, leaving Alec to focus on the people in front of him.

He watched as the tiny little man made as if to run away while his warriors stepped in to battle for him. _Coward_. Alec might need to cause a distraction and keep others busy, but that didn’t mean he needed to let this one get away. Not after all the pain he’d caused. To Magnus, to _Jace_ , to Clary, to their Clan, and to the whole of the Shadow World.

One beat of his wings drew Alec's body up ever so slightly. He couldn’t use fire, not yet, but flames and magic weren’t his only weapons.

A small push with his hind legs sent Alec forward. Though the man was running, his legs were small, and he didn’t get a chance to go more than a few feet before Alec caught up with him.

In one swift snap of his jaws, Alec Lightwood took out the single biggest threat to the Shadow World.

Others on the ship were screaming, voices crying out here and there, and angel blades and arrows were already filling the air. Alec spun, using his wing to swipe a whole crowd of Circle members down into the water. Then he was shoving off the deck and flapping his wings hard, lifting himself up without accidentally submerging the boat his mate was still on.

Once in the air, Alec spun and snapped at them, blowing a stream of fire at the deck. Then he took to the sky with another great flap of his wings.

It was time to play.

* * *

While chaos reigned up on deck, down below Magnus and Dot were racing through the halls, magic in their hands and a mission ahead of them. They only had five minutes to get through her and get to the other Downworlders behind held belowdecks. Magnus hoped and prayed that there weren’t any others on the other ship. They wouldn’t have enough time to get there.

As if reading his mind, Dot said, “Thank Lilith there’s no prisoners on the other ship.”

They rounded the corner and Magnus had to react fast, flinging out a wave of magic to knock down the group of Circle members that were rushing toward them. He didn’t let himself pause after he did it – just kept running, leaping over them and moving as quickly as he could. Dot stayed right on his tail.

The sound of roars and screams was echoing down from above them. Even through the metal of the ship, Magnus could hear the fight that was happening up there. He wanted nothing more than to be up there with Alec. To fight side by side with him. It felt so wrong to be down here running around while Alec was up there alone with Circle members attacking him. Not that Magnus thought they’d honestly be able to hurt him, but what if their angelic weapons _could_? What if they hurt him and Magnus wasn’t there to watch his back?

Those thoughts only made Magnus run faster.

Another roar echoed down the hallway to them just as they reached a set of doors, Dot gesturing that these were the ones. She cringed a little while she watched Magnus break down the shield she’d been forced to put up over the room. “I can’t believe you have a dragon,” she breathed out.

A slash of his hand and the wards crumpled. Magnus reached out for the door and yanked it open, his magic held at the ready in his palm. “He won’t hurt us.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Very.” As if Alexander would hurt any of them!

Then they were finally inside the room, and there was no more time for talking. Cell after cell full of Downworlders waited in front of them, and they were likely down to the last two minutes of the five Alec had promised him. Magnus didn’t waste any more time. Thanks to the power boost Alec had given him – something which Magnus resolved to quiz him about later – and his own considerable power, it was easy to reach out to the locks on all the cells around them.

There wasn’t time to deal with all the cuffs and collars that everyone had on. Magnus gathered magic and opened a portal at the far end of the room. Then he used magic to amplify his voice and call out, “All right, everyone, we’ve got about a minute and a half until this ship is going to sink. So everyone, through the portal. It’ll take you to the Sanctuary near New York. From there, Dot will send for help to get all your cuffs and such removed. Now, let’s make this quick, please!”

Those words worked wonders. People swarmed out of their cages and rushed to where the portal waited for them.

Magnus held it long enough for each and every one of them to get through it. Mentally, he counted down the seconds left of the time Alec had promised them. He knew his lover would try and hold them off longer. Until either Magnus showed up or he felt Magnus’ magic leave the ship. But he didn’t want to press their luck. They needed to end this. Now.

The last of the Downworlders went through the portal, and then it was just Dot standing there, staring after him. She watched, waiting for Magnus to join her, only to give him a surprised look as he took a step back. “Aren’t you coming?”

Another roar shook the ship, and Magnus grinned.

“You go on, darling.” Magnus’ grin grew sharp and feral in a way Dot had never seen before. The sight of it now made her shiver with something between awe and fear. “I’ve got my own ride home.”

That grin stayed in place long after Dot was through the portal. Magnus closed it behind her, and then turned on his heel and took off, once more racing through the halls of the ship. Only this time, he was running back to where he should be. Where his heart insisted he should’ve been the entire time.

When Magnus reached the top deck, it didn’t take him long to find his lover. Alec was flying round and round the ship toying with the few remaining Circle members that hadn’t fallen to his flames or down into the water. Scorch marks marked the deck here and there, signs of where Alec had taken care of a few of them already. Fools that they were, they kept coming up, as if anything they possessed would allow them to take down a _dragon_.

Magnus tracked Alec’s movements, did a quick mental calculation, and then took off racing down the length of the ship.

He threw magic as he went, blasting back anyone who dared get between him and his goal. When Magnus reached the bow, he leapt up onto a box, and then another, and then onto the railing. A grin lit across his face when he pushed off the railing and dove out into open air.

Just as he’d known would happen, Alec curled around the ship, his body at just the perfect height to catch Magnus as he landed. The fact that Magnus landed not on scales but on soft leather had him laughing. He quickly caught hold of it, his other hand reaching up to brace as he swung one leg over. Magnus grinned as he used magic to curl the straps over his legs. Today wasn’t going to be about any fancy flying. It was going to be about keeping his seat while they took down these ships.

Magnus reached out to Alec, magic to magic, and the two let their magic join together in a mesh so complete, it was the closest Magnus felt he was ever going to get to Heaven.

Once, a long time ago, Magnus had gone to Edom. It was the strongest he’d ever been – and the lowest he’d ever fallen. There were nights he could still remember what it felt like to hold all that power, though. How _strong_ he’d felt.

This? This was _nothing_ like that. The magic in Edom had been dark – tainted. It felt like the realm it came from. Every time Magnus had used it, he’d felt like he was forcing it to change, converting it to something he could hold, or he’d risk letting it change _him_. After he’d left Edom, he’d been grateful to be able to feel the usual fire of his own magic. Strong, yes, and dangerous at times. But _his_.

Alec's magic was… there were no words for it. Magnus felt like he was touching the very magic of the universe. Pure _energy_. Not good, not bad. Energy was neither and yet had the potential for both. Life and death, creation and destruction, love and hate. All of that wrapped up in the heart and energy of one of the most amazing beings Magnus had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Their magic pulsed and curled around one another for a moment, familiar with each other and rejoicing at being able to touch this way. They came together like a clasping of hands – a joining of energy that flooded Magnus’ being.

With their power held together, the two of them sent out waves of fire and magic that destroyed the ships in front of them. It didn’t burn them, didn’t melt them. Where their combined power touched, the ships simply _disintegrated_. By the time they were done, there was nothing left. No ships, no bodies, nothing floating in the water. Valentine’s men and his base were just _gone_.

Alec let out a triumphant roar that echoed through the air and deep down into the very core of Magnus. He felt the power of it wash over him and could only throw his head back as he laughed and laughed.

They’d done it! Together, he and Alec had done what no one else had been able to do. There was no way Valentine had survived what just happened. He was dead, as were most of his followers. The Shadow World was _safe_.

All because Valentine had been stupid enough to touch what didn’t belong to him.

**_NO ONE TOUCHES WHAT’S MINE_ ** **.**

The words came through, sharp and fierce, burning like fire through every inch of Magnus. He leaned forward so that he could place his hands on Alec's neck. He didn’t pay attention to where they were going – didn’t care. All that mattered was that he was here on Alec's back, and they were both alive and safe.

Pressing in close, Magnus let out the words in his heart, saying them with heart, mind, and magic, so that Alec could feel it through every inch of him. “I love you.”

He felt Alec's magic sing with joy in return. “I love you, too.” The words filled his ears and echoed in his head, and nothing else mattered. Whatever happened next, whatever they had to face because of this, Magnus was ready and willing to do it. So long as he had Alec by his side, he could face anything.

**Author's Note:**

> if I can ever get around to writing smut, there might be a second chapter to this. But I make no promises :P It's not my strongest suit
> 
> Thanks for reading - be sure to let me know what you think!
> 
> If you'd like to join a Multifandom server on Discord, come hang out [HERE](https://discord.gg/82pvdE39fD) in the Fandom Playhouse with me and a group of amazing people!
> 
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